Tips for Storing Ammo

Whether you’re wanting to store ammunition for hunting, home defense or both, it is crucial to store it properly. Ammo is not immune to the influence of the elements, and it can corrode and potentially become either useless or actually dangerous for you to use. Here are a few tips for storing it properly and easily:

Case

You’ll obviously want to start with a case. Specifically manufactured ammo cases are ideal and can be found at your local army surplus store or online (and if you plan to fly with your ammo at any point, for whatever reason, you’ll need a box specifically designed to transport ammunition). But if you’ve got a lot to store or are on a tight budget, this is definitely not the cheapest option. Some preppers use old water bottles or pill bottles, small plastic bins or other repurposed boxes. Whatever you use, you’ll want it to be sturdy, reliable, completely free of moisture and able to securely close.

Protection

The key factor of ammo storage is to protect it from the corrosive properties of moisture. If you do repurpose a water bottle, for example, make sure it is impeccably dry before you put any ammo in it. Silica gel packets are ideal to place in whatever container you use to absorb any moisture. You can also actually vacuum seal ammo, especially if you intend to store it long-term, this is a great way to seal it off completely from moisture.

Label

Whatever container or method of storage you use, it’s important to label it. What type of ammo it is, what use (hunting, defense, target shooting), the quantity, what type/weight, and the caliber/make. Label it clearly so that you can quickly grab whatever you need, and if you vacuum seal, make sure you keep a knife or scissors in the storage container so you can easily access your ammo.

Discretion

Like firearms, ammo is something you’ll probably want to store discreetly in your home, in case of break-in. Any criminal would probably be thrilled to come across a massive ammo cache, so just keep this in mind when storing and maybe consider a decoy box and hiding the ammo in old food containers or some other kind of misdirection.

Guns have little use if you can’t load them, so make sure to stock up on ammo and take these measures to store them properly. Ammo could be the key to your survival one day, so think ahead now to protect it.